Life Is One Sweet Beautiful Song
by GinervaMarieChaseEverdeen
Summary: EvangelVamp511's prize for winning the Art of Eloquence Challenge. Bella, an up and coming scenic design artist, meets a firefighter at a little Tiramisu cafe in SoHo NYC. She goes back home for Thanksgiving, but only stays a day before heading back to the city, and it's a good thing she did. If not, who knows what would have happened to Edward? AU, AH, cannon pairings, one-shot


**Life is One Sweet Beautiful Song**

**One-Shot**

**BPOV**

**AU, AH, cannon pairings**

**Rated T**

**A/N: This one-shot was written for EvangelVamp511 who requested a story where Edward was a firefighter as her prize for winning the Art of Eloquence Challenge. From that, after a lot of thinking and much writers block, this story popped up. I hope you like it LaynEvelyn!**

***Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the musicals mentioned hereafter. The little cafe in SoHo is real, and the rest is purely fiction.***

* * *

Riding was one of my absolute favorite things in the world to do, well besides anything art or musical related, but for anyone who knows me, those are a given part of my life. The feeling of the cold wind rushing past my face as I rode my horse River through the field at my Gran and Gramps' place was something I sorely missed while I was in NYC. It gave me time to think along with providing a peace that's hard to obtain in the constantly rushing city. Right now, I needed this peace more than ever with all that had been going on in my life the past year. I hadn't really been home since last Christmas. All my contact with my family and friends had been through phone calls, texting, Skype, and FaceTime. I came for Thanksgiving Day, but I couldn't stay and visit because I was needed back at work Saturday. And it had been a blessing that I returned when I did. If not, who knows what would have happened to Edward?

Well, as one of my favorite songs says, "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start." Yeah the song is "Do Re Mi" from _The Sound of Music_, but hey, theatre is my life. So now, the beginning...

After graduating college with my best friends in the world (other than my cousin Jake), Ali, Jazz, Rose, and Emmett, I knew exactly where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. After all, when you major in visual arts and minor in theatre, there isn't much you can do besides be a starving artist, try to get a big break and become a star, or do scenic design, and I was dead set on the third option. I planned to move to New York City and get in working on a Broadway show set.

My passion for scenic design began my freshmen year of high school. My only close friend at the beginning of freshmen year was my cousin Jake who had graduated from the high school where I was headed and was starting his second year at UT that fall. So, with no one to really hang out with, I decided to find somewhere to plug in. I'd always loved art, and was already positive that I would take that, but when it came time to fill the last elective slot in my schedule, I wasn't sure what to take. Jake suggested theatre because according to him, the theatre people were some of the nicest in the school. After thinking about it, I took the plunge and signed up. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. Everyone in the class was required to either be in or help with the musical, so that was the first year I helped with set design, and I fell in love. Year after year, I became more and more involved with the set, made friends with the theatre people (one of whom was Rose), and junior year, I was in my first show along with helping with the set. I loved being in the show and was in the musical senior year as well, but my true passion was scenic design.

Rose and I went to the same college near home where we met Emmett, who soon became Rose's boyfriend, and Ali and Jazz who were dating as well. The five of us were inseparable and spent all our time hanging out. Jake loved my friends too, and we all were really close, spending every few weekends at my Gran and Gramps' farm. Eventually, Jake got engaged my freshman year of college, and he and his wife Nessie had their adorable little girl, Bree, (whom I do my best to spoil on a constant basis) the next year. When Rose, Emmett, Ali, Jazz, and I finally graduated, I was the only one of us planning to do something that involved moving away. We were all sad about our impending separation, but I promised to come visit as much as possible. I spent the summer after graduation hanging out with my friends as frequently as I could since I knew they wouldn't be there with me in NYC.

At the end of the summer, Mom and Dad came up to New York with me to help find an apartment. Finally we found me a cute little place in SoHo that was actually semi-affordable. When they left, it was strange. I had lived at home during college, and now, I was all alone. It was what I wanted though, and my second day in New York I set out to find a job. After a week of searching, I got lucky and landed a job helping with a set for a new and relatively unheard of show. I was finally living my dream. One Friday, I was at the warehouse where they kept, built, and decorated the set, listening to my Broadway Pandora station on my iPhone. The song playing was "When Will My Life Begin" from _Tangled_—which was very apropos now that I look back on it—when I finished up faux marbling a building I had been working on the past two days. It was getting late, and was past time for me to head out, but I had been determined to finish the marbling that day. I felt so accomplished now that I was done, and decided to treat myself with some Tiramisu from a place I had just discovered the weekend prior. I washed up my sponges and brushes, put the paint away, made sure everything was in order and ready for Monday, and locked up before walking to the little Tiramisu café.

When I arrived, I ordered a cup of coffee with a little bit of half-and-half and some sugar as well as a Nutella Tiramisu (which is better than it may sound) before sitting down at a table and texting Ali. She had called me yesterday to tell me Jazz proposed and to ask me to be a bridesmaid. I had of course agreed, and now I was waiting for her to send me a picture of the ring she had gushed about. As I sat there staring at my phone and eating Tiramisu, the bell above the door that signaled someone was entering rang softly. I disregarded it at the time, but it would turn out to mark a huge turn in my life. I continued staring at my phone waiting for Ali to send me the picture when I heard a voice.

"If you keep staring at that phone so hard you might burn a hole through it," said a man's voice.

"Ha," I half-chuckled before looking up to see a very very attractive man who appeared to be about my age with green eyes and reddish brown hair.

"Waiting for someone to call?" he asked.

"Actually no, I'm waiting for my friend to text me a picture of her engagement ring," I explained, not sure why I was telling this to a complete stranger.

"Well then, can I sit here?" he asked, gesturing to the chair opposite me at the little table.

"Uh, sure," I told him, a bit cautiously.

In NYC you could never be sure if you could really trust someone. The café was empty except for the two girls working at the counter and us, so, since I wasn't completely alone. I decided to talk to him.

"So, what's a lovely girl like yourself doing here alone?" he asked, and I realized that he had a southern accent, which was something I was not used to hearing in New York.

He was definitely not a native New Yorker, and that was something I could definitely relate to since my own home was in Tennessee.

"Oh I just came to treat myself after a hard week's work," I told him with a smile.

"I see. And what kind of work would that be?" he questioned.

"I'm a scenic designer. I help make and design sets for plays and musicals," I explained. "Right now I'm working on a new show you've probably never heard of. So, what is a southern guy like you doing up north?" I inquired.

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" he asked, seeming a bit put off.

"No, no! Of course not," I assured him. "I'm from Tennessee myself, and I recognized your southern accent and was just curious. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds."

"It's fine. I'm sorry I misjudged your intentions. Most people up here just hear my accent and automatically assume I'm a redneck who never wears shoes and grew up on a farm. It's nice to meet someone from near home. I'm actually from Alabama," he told me.

"I know exactly what you mean. So are you going to answer my question?" I asked, still smiling at this kind stranger.

"Oh yeah, right, so I guess I should start off with this, I'm an orphan and was in the system since I can remember. My biological parents died in a fire when I was one, and I barely remember them. It's really more just feelings. I lived in an orphanage in Alabama until I turned 12. As I got older, and wasn't adopted, I went to different foster families. I'd stay for about a year then get shipped to the next place. One of them was in New York, so when I turned 18, and was emancipated, I decided to move here. My parents' money was put in a trust fund to pay for my schooling and other necessities. I wouldn't get free access until I turned 21. So, I decided to go to Auburn for college because I had grown up near by and the couple that owned the orphanage were big fans and instilled a love of Auburn in me. I majored in music, and after I graduated, rather than becoming a professional musician, I decided to become a firefighter. I had always wanted to because of what happened to my parents, but I also wanted to have a degree in something. So I moved up here last year, and became a fireman," he explained.

"Wow, I'm so sorry about your parents, but I guess you hear that from everyone," I told him sympathetically.

He nodded.

"And you can probably guess why I'm here and not back home in Tennessee."

"Broadway?" he asked.

"Bingo," I replied with a smile. This guy was so nice, very good looking, and from the south. It was like a dream come true. We sat there quietly for a moment, but it wasn't awkward. He took a sip of his coffee, and I ate a bite of Tiramisu.

"Wow, I can't believe I just told my life story to a complete stranger, and I don't even know your name," he remarked.

"Oh wow, you're right. Let me remedy part of that. I'm Bella and I'm twenty-three," I declared, holding my hand out for a handshake.

"And I'm Edward, and I'm twenty-four," he said, shaking my hand firmly.

"We can hardly be qualified as strangers now. We know a good bit about each other," I told him with a smile.

"Yes I suppose you're right Bella. Now since we aren't strangers, do you mind if I ask you a sort of personal question?" he asked.

"Ask away."

"Um, are you seeing anyone?" he asked looking down at his coffee.

I wondered if he was really trying to ask me out. I kind of hoped so.

"Then can I meet you here tomorrow, same time?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure Edward. I'll be here," I told him with a big grin on my face.

He hadn't necessarily formally asked me out, but this was definitely a start.

"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow then. Right now though, I have to go. I'm working the night shift at the fire station tonight and need to get going," he explained.

"All right then. It was great to meet you Edward and I can't wait for tomorrow," I told him before looking at my phone. It had gotten really late, and I had ten rather demanding texts from Ali. Oops. "I actually ought to head home anyways. My friend Ali, the one who just got engaged, hence the text I was waiting for earlier, has apparently texted me ten times and is now demanding that I call her," I explained.

"Do you live nearby?" he asked.

"Uh yeah, why?"

"Can I walk you home?" he offered sweetly.

"Sure," I agreed. "I'm just three blocks away."

"Then let's go," he suggested.

When we got to my apartment complex, Edward said goodbye before heading to the fire station. When I got up to my unit, I called Ali. Hopefully she wouldn't kill me for going off the grid for a few hours.

"Bella Swan! Why didn't you respond to my texts? You're the one who wanted to see the stupid ring so badly, and then you just ignore me for hours! Did you phone die or something?" she screeched as she answered the phone.

"Hi Ali. Sorry!" I exclaimed quickly.

"Sorry doesn't cut it Bella! Now what was up?"

"Um see I was at this little café, and I met this guy. The ring is gorgeous by the way," I added hoping to distract her.

"A guy? Oh well that _could_ be a good reason not to text me. What's his name? How old is he? What does he do and where is he from? Was he hot?" she interrogated me.

"Whoa Ali, slow down. His name is Edward. He's 24. He's from Alabama. And he's a firefighter, so yeah I guess you could say he's hot," I joked.

"Haha Bella. So punny. Now seriously, was he hot?"

"Yes he was very attractive, and very sweet. We're meeting at the café again tomorrow."

"Ahhh! He's the one for you Bella! I can feel it! I need to meet him!" she insisted.

"Um Ali we're not even dating yet."

"But you will be! I just know it! You've never been this excited about meeting any guy, ever."

"There was Mike," I reminded her.

"He was just a little crush. Anyways, after you went to prom with him, you decided that he wasn't worth it anyway. So, other than meeting Mr. Edward-the-hot-fireman, what have you been up to?" she asked.

The two of us talked for a few hours while she caught me up on what our friends had been up to, and I told her about the set I was working on.

Edward was at the café the next day as promised and we mostly talked about my life since he told me his life story the day before. After that, our meetings at the café became a weekly occurrence. We talked about anything and everything, and eventually, he asked me out to dinner. Ali had told Rose about Edward, and they asked about him every time they called. When he officially asked me out, they were thrilled. Rose was a bit skeptical about him since she hadn't met him yet, but she was glad I had met a sweet southern boy I liked up here.

Our first date went fantastic. It wasn't a bit awkward. He took me to this really cool fondue place, and after a few more dates, Edward asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes, of course, and this just sealed the deal that he was the one for me in Ali's mind. We still went to the Tiramisu place every Friday afternoon, and Saturday was date night. Edward also frequently came to visit me for lunch or would just pop in at work when he wasn't working. Everybody working on the set with me knew him and liked him a lot too. A few of the girls flirted, but he politely ignored their advances. I was the youngest one working on the set anyway. Everyone else had done shows before. One lady helped design the original _Wicked_ set, and an older man had worked on _Les Miserables _sets before. There were others who had helped with other big name shows too. They all had taken to looking out for me since in their eyes, I was a little girl alone in the big city. And they all told me that they approved of Edward. It was really sweet.

For my twenty-fourth birthday, Edward got me tickets to see _The Phantom of the Opera_ on Broadway! I couldn't wait. Phantom was one of my favorite shows and I was dying to see it. After we saw it the following weekend, I insisted we wait by the stage door afterwards to get my program signed by the actors. When the guy who played the phantom came out, I squealed a little, which was embarrassing, before asking for a picture and his autograph. He was really nice and seemed to genuinely care when I told him that I was a budding scenic design artist and asked him a question about the show's set.

After that, Edward took me to dinner at a tiny, hole-in-the-wall Italian place that was still fancy and had fabulous food. While we were there, we talked about the show and eventually got on the topic of fears. I admitted that I was scared that he would get hurt in a fire. I was so proud of what he did and how much he cared about others, but I also loved him and worried he would get seriously hurt.

When I told him this, Edward said, "Bella, I love you, and I do my best to stay safe, but this is what I do with my life. Yes being a firefighter is dangerous, but it is also something I care about and believe in."

That was the first time he had said he loved me, and I was quick to say it back.

"Oh Edward, I love you too, and I know that you're going to keep being a fireman. I just want you to promise me you'll do your best to stay safe," I explained earnestly, grasping his hand across the table.

"Bella, I promise that I will do everything I can to stay safe. I'm so glad I ran into you that day in the café. Talking to you was one of the best decisions I made. I'm so very blessed to have an amazing, beautiful girlfriend who is supportive of me," Edward declared.

"I've definitely been blessed too," I agreed, a huge smile covering my face.

That night, Edward walked me home. When we got there, I invited him in to watch a movie. ABC happened to be having a Harry Potter weekend, as it is prone to do every few months, so we turned that on, and sat down on the couch to watch. I woke up the next morning on the couch snuggled against Edward's muscular chest with his arms wrapped around me.

"Wake up sleepy head," I told him still smiling. We must have fallen asleep during the movie.

"Huh, what is it?" Edward asked in a cute befuddled voice before yawning.

"It's time to get up. You have to be at the station soon, and we both fell asleep on the couch last night," I explained as he slowly sat up.

"Oh, yeah I guess we did. You wouldn't happen to want to meet me for lunch today, would you?" he asked with a grin.

"Sure, and how about I make you some breakfast too?" I suggested.

"As much as I'd love some of your pancakes, I'm still wearing my clothes from last night, and I need to head home and change before getting to work."

"I'll see you for lunch then. Meet you at the station," I told him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I look forward to it," he said as he got up and stretched.

"Be safe."

"I will Bella. I love you."

"I love you too," I told him at the door before he gave me a quick kiss and headed home.

Two months later, life was going great. Edward and I were in love as ever; Rose, Ali, Emmett, Jazz, Jake, Nessie, Mom, Dad, Gran, Gramps, and even Bree kept insisting on meeting Edward ever since he asked me to be his girlfriend; Ali called me every other day to talk about her wedding plans; work was going great though it was keeping me super busy; and Edward hadn't even been close to being injured on the job despite my fears. I had let my worries go, for the most part, and when I left to go visit the family for Thanksgiving Day, I wasn't the slightest bit worried about Edward. He had to work, so he couldn't come with me, and since I was only staying one day due to the show opening in two weeks, I didn't mind. My family did however, and they had already made him promise to come for Christmas.

Edward drove me to the airport the day before Thanksgiving, kissed me goodbye, and told me that he'd miss me and that he loved me. I echoed the sentiments before boarding the plane and heading home to Tennessee. Hours later, when I landed at the Atlanta airport, I met Rose and Ali, who had come to pick me up, outside. We drove up to Gran and Gramps' house, where we spent the night and had a girls' night—something else I sorely missed, being away in New York. The boys, Rose's parents (Esme and Carlisle, who had become really close with my parents) Mom, Dad, Uncle Billy, and Jake, Nessie, and Bree came up the next day for Thanksgiving. We cooked, watched football, ate awesome food, and the "kids" had the annual flashlight hide and seek tag game after dinner (a tradition Jake and I had started when I was in middle school, back when our other cousins used to come to town for thanksgiving). All and all, it was awesome to spend time with my family and friends, but I missed Edward.

The next morning, I packed up and headed to the airport bright and early. I wished I could stay longer, but I was needed at work. I felt an odd sense of dread on the plane ride home, but at the time I passed it off as homesickness. Later I realized that was not the case. When I landed that night, I turned my phone off of airplane mode, and there were five missed calls and two voice mails, all from the same number around the same time today. I didn't recognize the number, but I listened to the voice mail right away. After all, if someone called me that many times, it must be important. What I heard was one of the scariest messages I'd heard in my life.

"Hello, Ms. Swan. This is New York Presbyterian Hospital. Edward Cullen has been admitted and you were the only one on his list of those to contact. He has suffered serious burns. For more information, please stop by the hospital as soon as possible or call this number back. Thank you," a woman's voice said.

I gasped as soon as they said he was in the hospital, and the moment I heard the word burns I began to panic.

"I've got to get to the hospital," was the only thought going through my mind.

I quickly grabbed my suitcase handle, stuffed my phone in my purse, ran outside, and hailed the first taxi I saw. Fortunately, it was empty, and the driver pulled over. I shoved my suitcase into the backseat, climbed in behind it, and forced out the words, "New York Presbyterian Hospital."

"Okay," the driver said nonchalantly, but I didn't care about manners at the moment.

My brain was running through all the possible scenarios. What if he was dying, or already dead, what if he suffered mental damage from the smoke, what if he lost a limb, what if he was disfigured for life? As I thought through all the "what if's," I realized something: as long as Edward was alive, I would still love him. It would turn out okay. I didn't care if he looked different, as long as he was alive. I prayed to God for a miracle on the way there.

When we pulled up in front of the hospital, I quickly paid the driver, grabbed my bag, and ran inside. I ran up to the front desk gasping, whether from worry or actual lack of breath, I wasn't sure.

"Edward Cullen. I need to see Edward Cullen," was all I could force out.

"Name?" the nurse asked, professionally.

"Bella Swan," I told her as she scanned a list.

"Ah yes, burn victims are on the fourth floor. The elevators are that way. You can get more information there," she instructed, and I quickly nodded before taking off towards the elevator.

When I arrived on the fourth floor, I ran over to the desk and inquired about Edward again. This nurse was actually helpful.

"Ah yes dear," the older woman said, "he was admitted around eleven this morning with some severe burns. He had to have a minor surgery, but he is in his room now. He's sleeping and doing well. He'll be so glad you're here. Poor boy, he hasn't had any visitors yet and an orphan too."

"Yeah, he's my boyfriend," I explained to the kind old lady. Now that I knew he was okay, I could function again. "I was visiting family for the holiday and my flight just landed. As soon as I heard where he was, I rushed over here."

"Well he'll be so glad you're here, dear. He's in room 423, right down the hall there. You go ahead in," she instructed, "and I'll bring you some food. If you've been on a plane all day, you must be hungry."

"Thank you so much," I told her earnestly before rushing down the hall to see Edward.

As soon as I found room 423, I quietly opened the door and walked inside. The sight that greeted me was much less severe than anything I had imagined. He was sleeping peacefully, and the only visible damage were shiny bright red, blistered patches on his cheek and left arm. They were obviously third degree burns, but he was in one piece and still looked like himself. I wheeled my suitcase over by the armchair in the room and plopped down in the chair breathing out in one big whoosh.

Now that I had seen him for myself, I realized that I needed to let everyone know I was home safe and what had happened. After texting everyone to let them know what happened, I turned back to look at Edward and said a quick prayer of thanks.

"Here's your food sweetie," the kind nurse said as she came in carrying a tray with soup and coffee along with creamers and sweeteners on it.

"Thank you," I told her with a smile, accepting the tray.

"Did they tell you what happened?" she asked.

"No."

"There was a fire at an orphanage, and his truck was one of the first to respond. A little girl was still inside, and your Edward went in after her. She was fine, but as you see, he suffered some serious burns. He has a noble profession, and you should be proud of him," she told me.

"Thank you, and I know. I am; I'm insanely proud of him," I told her, gripping his right hand in mine.

"You better not let him get away," she added with a smile.

"I don't plan on it ma'am," I assured her.

"If he wakes up or you need anything, just ring me. My name is Catherine," she told me before walking out of the room.

I sat there just holding his hand and watching him for a few minutes before I saw his eyelids begin to flutter.

"Hey there," I whispered.

"Bella," he replied. "You're here."

"Of course I am, silly. The second I heard, I rushed over," I added.

"I'm sorry."

"That's stupid. What in the world do you have to be sorry for?" I asked him.

"I wasn't careful. I got hurt," he explained.

"Edward, you were careful. Your injuries aren't horrible, and you wouldn't be the man I love if you hadn't gone in after that little girl," I assured him, looking into his eyes.

"Oh Bella," he said with a small smile, trying to turn to face me, but wincing.

"Hey, sit still. The nurse told me to call her when you woke up. Now sit still or I'll call her right this second," I threatened.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you too. Now I really do need to call the nurse," I told him as I picked up the remote and hit the call button.

"Nurses Station. Catherine speaking," came out of the speaker.

"Edward's awake," I stated simply, giving Edward a look, telling him to behave.

"Thank you dear, I'll be right in," she told me, and moments later, she came in the door. "How are you feeling," she asked Edward.

"A lot better now that Bella is here," he told her.

"Yes, I understand you're glad she's here, but what is your pain level dear?" she asked him patiently.

"About a five," he told her.

"And your breathing?" she asked.

"It's fine," he assured her.

"No coughing or difficulty?" she inquired.

"No ma'am."

"Alright then, I just need to check your burns and apply the cream. Then we can give you some more pain medicine," she told him, but I could tell she was directing it at me as well.

"If you have to," Edward whined a bit. It was kind of cute. I had never seen him whine before, but I also knew that it had to look bad under the covers. He must be in more pain than he was letting on.

"You know we do," she said condolingly.

"You don't have to stay in here Bella," he told me.

"Unless you absolutely want me to leave, I'm staying. I don't mind gore."

"Okay, then let's get this over with," he told Catherine.

As she pulled the sheets down, I saw more of the shiny red, blistered skin on his left leg. He winced as she rubbed the burn cream on, and I knew that he had to be in a lot of pain. At least his arm, cheek, and leg were the only places burned. After inspecting the burns and applying the cream, she pulled the blanket back up over him.

"Now let's get you some more medicine," she said as she adjusted something on the IV monitor.

"Thank you," Edward told her.

"You're healing quite well from what I can tell at this stage. I expect you'll be in here for a week or two at the most, possibly less. I'll leave you two be now," she said with a smile as she walked out with her clipboard.

"That didn't gross you out?" Edward asked.

"Nope, not a bit. One time, Jake fell on a rock and split his arm open, and when we went to the ER, I watched the doctor give him stitches," I told him, smiling a bit at the memory and leaving out the part where I inexplicably fainted mid-procedure. I hadn't felt queasy or anything, it just happened.

"Wait, did you come straight from the airport?" he asked, apparently just noticing my suitcase.

"Yeah, thankfully."

"Why thankfully?"

"Otherwise I might have had to re-pack. I do plan on staying here until you get out," I explained to him.

"Bella, as much as I would appreciate that, you have work. That's why you came home so quickly in the first place."

"Yes, but I can still go to work if I stay here with you at night," I told him confidently.

"Bella, you're going to want to go home and shower and such. I appreciate you wanting to stay, but you really should go home," he told me.

"At least let me stay tonight," I pleaded.

"I would let you stay every night if you didn't have work, baby. Yes, you can stay tonight. And I certainly won't say no to any visits after work or during lunch," he un-subtly hinted.

"I guess that works," I agreed with a smile as he yawned. "You're tired. Sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up," I told him.

"But," he started to protest.

"Just sleep," I told him, placing a light kiss on his lips, causing him to smile, before sitting back down in the armchair.

I stayed the night, like I promised, and visited Edward as much as I possibly could over the next five days. He was healing well, there would always be scars, but he was still healing. Thursday, we got great news: Edward would be able to go home the next day. He couldn't go back to work for a while since he wasn't fully healed, but he could go home. His mobility was still limited, so for the first week, I ended up sleeping on his couch, taking care of him, helping him with his medicine, and fixing him food. Once he was back on his feet I went back to living at my place full time. I loved having my bed back, but I did miss Edward's constant presence. With Christmas fast approaching, I checked to see if Edward still wanted to come spend it with my family and me. He was definitely still game, and I couldn't wait.

This year had been full of ups and downs. The show I had been doing set for went spectacularly, and critics loved it, many of them talking about how amazing the set was. I couldn't wait for the next one. I met Edward, which was a life-changing moment. And of course Edward had his accident. Now I was home with my family and friends who I had missed enormously over the year, and I was staying for a whole week. They all loved Edward, even Rose who had been a bit unsure when she first found out about him. There was only one thing I had to do before I could really just enjoy the Christmas vacation. That was the main reason I was out here riding. I was trying to clear my head and work up the courage to do it, but instead I ended up reliving the big events that happened this year, especially ones related to Edward.

Still thinking about what I needed to do, I rode back over to the barn and began to unsaddle River. As I worked, large hands appeared and wrapped around my waist. I jumped a little, because I hadn't heard him coming, but I knew right away that it was Edward.

"They told me I might find you out here," he said.

"Why were you looking for me?" I asked as I led River to her stall.

"Just wanted to see if you were still up for it," he explained.

"Oh Edward, of course I am. I just needed some time to think," I assured him.

"Well then, you've been out here for two hours. What were you thinking about so long?" he asked. "I'm not a mind reader after all."

"You," I told him with a smile, before giving him a quick kiss, which then turned into a longer one as he wrapped his arms around me, and I instantly forgot about the cold December wind whipping against us.

"It's pretty cold out here. Are you ready to go inside?" he asked me with a big smile.

"Yeah, some hot chocolate in front of the fire place sounds nice," I told him.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, and we started heading back to the house.

"So are you ready to tell them?" he asked.

"Most definitely. I don't want to have to keep it a secret any longer. Ali and Rose have been giving me weird looks anyway. They know I'm hiding something," I told him with a big smile.

"Then let's go tell them," Edward suggested, kissing the top of my head as we approached the back door of Gran and Gramps' house, where we were all staying for the week.

When we came in, Gran, Mom, and Esme were fixing hot chocolate in the kitchen, and everyone else was sitting in the living room listening to Jake's story about having to go buy guacamole and blue corn chips at two in the morning. Ness was pregnant with their second kid and due in March. Bree was in her daddy's lap, and he and Ness sat in the love seat. Ali and Jazz were squeezed into a big armchair, Emmett was sitting on the couch with Rose at his feet, and Gran, Dad, Uncle Billy, and Carlisle were all on the other couch. As I saw my family laughing and smiling, I knew it was the right time to tell them.

"Hey guys," I said standing halfway between the kitchen and living room, "I've got something to tell you, can everybody come to the living room?"

"Sure honey," Mom told me as she, Gran, and Esme came in with hot cocoa for everyone. After we all took seats, I cleared my throat.

"Well, what's your news Bella?" Gramps asked me.

"Yeah Bells what is it?" Jake asked me, grinning.

Dad however had a knowing look on his face.

"Well, as of last week, Edward and I are engaged!" I announced with a huge smile.

"I knew it!" Ali squealed. "I told you Rose!"

Everybody else immediately began to congratulate us. I received hugs from everyone, and I knew that they all really did approve of Edward.

"I told you he was the one for you Bella!" Ali said as she hugged me super tight.

"Yeah you did, Ali," I said with a smile. "I guess you were right… for once," I joked.

"What do you mean 'for once'? I'm always right!" she declared.

"Sure you are Ali," Jazz told her indulgently.

Just then, I saw Bree whisper something into Jake's ear.

"Ask her yourself, baby," he told her.

"Bella?" she asked.

"Yes Bree," I responded.

"What does engaged mean?" she asked, cutely.

"Well, it means that Edward and I are going to get married, and then we'll live together like your Momma and Daddy do, and someday we might have kids too," I explained.

"Oh," she said, obviously thinking hard about what I told her. "Does that mean Edward will be my cousin too?" she asked, after a moment.

"Yes it does," I told her.

"Cool," she declared.

"Bree, would you like to be our flower girl?" Edward asked her. We had talked about it, and since he didn't really have any family, and she was my favorite (and only for that matter) little cousin, she was the obvious choice.

"What's a flower girl?" she asked.

"It means you get to be in our wedding and wear a pretty dress while throwing flower petals for me to walk over when I come down the isle," I explained to her.

"Can I Momma?" she whispered loudly.

"Yes sweetie," Nessie told her.

"Then yes, please!" Bree said sweetly.

"Thank you Bree," Edward said, smiling.

"Now, speaking of the wedding, where is your ring?!" Ali demanded.

"Oh, yeah, that," I said feigning nonchalance, as I pulled the necklace I was wearing out from under my shirt and took the ring off of it before slipping it back onto my finger. It was silver with three consecutive diamonds on the band, the center one the largest, and a tiny emerald strip in between each. It had belonged to Edward's mom, and I loved it.

"Oh my goodness, Bella that's gorgeous!" Rose exclaimed thus causing all the girls to begin gushing over it.

I ended up walking around the room so that everyone could see it. Bree told me that it was "really pretty" which was very high praise from her.

"Now I have on question. Dad, why didn't you seem surprised?" I asked.

"Well, this considerate young man called me up and asked my permission to marry my little girl before asking you," Dad explained.

"You did?" I gasped as I turned to face Edward.

"I wanted to do it right," he said shrugging with a grin on his face, as I threw my arms around him.

"You're amazing, you do know that, right?" I checked.

"Yes, and so are you," he said with a chuckle, giving me a kiss on the forehead before I turned to face my family again.

"Well, now that that's off my chest, let's turn on the Christmas music!" I proclaimed, causing my friends and family to laugh, and Gran to get up and turn on the radio.

Normal conversation resumed, with wedding questions directed towards both me and Ali interspersed here and there. Sitting with my family and friends, drinking cocoa, listening to Christmas music, surrounded by the glow of Christmas lights on the tree, I knew that even though this year had been life-changing, this was where I belonged, and the only thing that had been missing in years past was a fireman who I wouldn't have met if I hadn't gone to get tiramisu one day after work. I was definitely very blessed.

"Look it's snowing!" Bree exclaimed, pointing to the window, and sure enough, it was, a rare event in Tennessee.

"I love you Bella," Edward whispered to me as we sat there. "And your family is great," he told me, softly.

"They are. And I love you too," I whispered back, reveling in the moment. At that moment, as often happened, musical lyrics popped into my head. These happened to be from the song "Rosie" in _Bye Bye Birdie_.

"Life is one sweet beautiful song. When love is right then what can be wrong? Life is one sweet beautiful song to me!"


End file.
